Skip to content or view screen version

Oxford EDL demo fails to materialise

anonymous | 01.06.2013 23:56 | Anti-racism | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles | Oxford

An EDL wreath-laying-type mobilisation (as elsewhere) was announced in Oxford today. A lively counter-demo was there, but they weren't - unless you count one or two grumpy looking guys.

The EDL event co-incided with a local demo against the bedroom tax, and it wasn't clear whether the EDL would go to St Giles or Bonn Square. So the bedroom tax demo in town was increased by the presence of various UAF and antifa people while we waited for news from spotters.

We heard there was something going on at the memorial at St Giles. When we got there, there were only a handful of journos, a couple of cops, and a grumpyfaced tattooed man thought to be EDL. There were one or two bunches of flowers on the memorial, so it's possible that the much-trumpeted "wreath laying" had already happened.

We stuck around en masse until grumpyface wandered off, in the company of a photographer he seemed friendly with. "Byeeeeee..." the crowd called.

Maybe those two are what passes for the EDL in Oxford. Who knows.

Then much of the crowd rejoined the bedroom tax demo, which included a giant inflatable mattress bed with 3 prominent politicians in bed together... followed by an impromptu march to the council offices.

Meanwhile EDL are expected in Abingdon tomorrow - watch dis space.

anonymous

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Lib Dems and Fascism

02.06.2013 11:14

I engaged various Lib-Dems in debate over their support for Proportional Representation - a policy which they advocated ONLY because it would be good for THEM, and their response to the charge that PR would result in Nazi MPs in Parliament was, translated into plain English, "we don't give a fuck"

Exactly the same kind of cynicism that led to the Lib-Dems breaking absolutely explicit pre-election promises

Danny J


flowers were old and had been there ages

02.06.2013 16:51

Spoke to one person who got a close look at the flowers and they were not fresh - they'd been there for quite awhile. Another person I know who works nearby confirmed that the flowers had been there for over a week.

So, FWIW, seems like the EDL didn't lay any flowers after all.

anon


taken with pinch of salt

02.06.2013 20:49

Were these people qualified to identify a flower's age?

I've bought flowers before that have arrived in a poor condition.
Others have lasted for ages.

You can also buy older flowers cheaper, people often do this for graves as they are not in display at home

just asking


flowery flower

02.06.2013 22:00

It wasn't just the age; it was also the account of the person who goes past there every day on their way to work and said the flowers had been there already.

Who knows. Maybe the EDL did lay one bunch of relatively old flowers and the person who passes every day didn't notice the difference between 3 bunches and 4? I'm not convinced it's an important enough point to be worth arguing over.

anon


Bottom line

02.06.2013 23:51

Bottom line is the EDL and BNP's whole day tanked big-time, hence a snow-storm of whining, bleating and stupid comments from right-wing trolls

Facebook